Support Two Stellar AAS Funds on #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is here and the AAS is honored to be part of the movement. Today and all week, we would like to focus our appeal on two key funds: the FAMOUS Travel Grant Fund and the Initiative Endowment Fund.

Established in 2014, the FAMOUS (Funds for Astronomical Meetings: Outreach to Underrepresented Scientists) Travel Grant Fund offers awards of up to $1,000 to offset travel expenses to a Society meeting with the goal to increase the number of astronomers from historically underrepresented groups, such as scientists at small colleges, minority students and scientists, non-traditional students, and veterans, among others.

The AAS Initiative Endowment Fund isn't technically an endowment fund yet, but it will be on its way with your gift. Once established, this fund will provide a steady source of funds on which the Society can rely in perpetuity. Last January, Professor Jeremiah P. Ostriker, our 1972 Helen B. Warner Prize recipient and our 1980 Henry Norris Russell Lecturer, made a generous contribution to get the fund started. The threshold set for the fund’s formal approval by the AAS Council is $20,000 — and as of today, we’re nearly there but we need your help and time is running out!

The Society and its six Divisions have more than 50 additional funding choices for those who wish to advance our collective mission to enhance and share humanity’s understanding of the universe. The AAS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, and all donations by US taxpayers are deductible under section 170 of the IRS code.